Improvement in compound projectiles



FIP8209 CRA N E 8( FOX.

Shell.

Patetcd So oo o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. CRANE AND JESSE FOX, OF LOVVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMPOUND PROJECTILES.

Specification forning part of Letters Patent No. 57,870, datcd September11 1866; antednted September 5, 1866.

To all whom it may conccw Be it known that we, JOHN E. CRAKE and JESSEFox, both of' Lowell, in the connty of Middlesex and State oflllassaehnsetts, have invented a new and Improved Gonpound Projeetile;and we do hereby declare the same to be fnlly described in the followingspeeifieation, and represented in the' accompanying drawings, of which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one of our elongated hollowprojectiles. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of nur round hollowprojectiles. Fig. 3 is a section of one ol' onr solid projeetiles.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figs. 1 and2, except those letters indicating where the shell comes in contact withthe bonelii'g-viz., G O, Fig. 1, and V V V V, Fig. 2.

Our invention consists of a compound proiectile eonposcd of two or moretlicknesses or layers ot' cast-iron orotler metal, one thickness orlayer cast upon another when the said tliclc ncsses or layers are all ofone kind of metal.

All ordinary hollow projeetiles are formed or east of one thckness ot'metal, which ad nits ofonly a linited number of fragments at explosion,and in the ordinary solid projectile for heavy ordnance a shrink-hole ofeonsiderable size oceurs at or near its center, which not only weakensthe shot, but frequently makes one side so heavy that the shot cannot befired or projeeted with any degree of aceuracy.

In carrying out our invention we make our projeetile ot' two or noretlieknesses or layers, D D, of castiron or other metal, all of the saidthicknesses or layers being of one kind of metal. The inside thicknessof our hollow projeetile is cast upon a sand core, A, as in the ordinaryshell; but each snoceedng thickness or layer D is cast upon the outsideof the preceding layer.

The core A A is Suspended in a mold, and the first tliekness or layer DD east npo it. The said layer coming in contact with the bonehing C (Jat 0 O, Fig. l, or at V V, Fig. 2, is seeured to the houching G C, thnshold'- ing the core A A and spindle B firmly together.

The first shell or layer D D is then removed from the mold, with thespindle B and coreA A firnly held within it. The sand or othersuhstanees are removed from the outside surface, and it is thenSuspended in alarger mold, and another thickness or layer, D D, castnpon the first.

The third or more tlickness are cast in the same way, without removingor disturhing the spindlc B, thns preserving the center during theentire operation of casting each shell, and produeing` a shell ofuniform thiekness.

The spindle B, upon which our hollow pro jeetile is east, is a hollowtnhe, and perforated 'through its sides, where the core A A comes incontact; with it, for the purpose of allowing the gaswhichis generatedbythe melted metal to escape from the core A A through the spirr dle B,and out at the end F.

The hearing or sten Ur G of the spindle B is for the purpose of holdingit firmly in the mold in a hearing; or eavity made to receive it whileeach-layer ot' metal is being cast on.

In constrnoting our solid projectile, as shown in Fig. 3, we make thecore a solid ball of metal, two inches, or nore or less, in diameter,with a stem projecting from one side of it, by which itis held in itsproper position in the mold while the outside portion of metal is beingeast npon it. By this process we avoid the shrink at the center socommon in large solid shot.

Experiments have demonstrated thata hollow projeetile ot' two or morethieknesses or layers of metal will at explosion prodnce two or moretimes the number of fragments ot' a projectile made of only onethickiess. The outside layer or thiekness of our projectile isconsiderahly Tlieker than the inside layer or layers, and by this meanswe produee a projectile that will penetrate near-ly or quite aselfectally as those of only one thickness, and do far greater exeeutionto surronnd ing objects or to the substance which it penetrates. It;will therefore be easily seen that the fragmeutary efl'ect of our hollowprojectile or shell will render it a very efficient instrument ofwarfare, and that our solid projectile will not have a slrink-lole atits center.

?Ve are aware that shclls f' ordnanee have been cove'ed with lead 01'other soft metal, to serve as packing, by npsetting into the grooves ofriied guns, and the'efore we wish in to be understood that we (iisemimhaving invented the equivalent in p-ineiple ur action of theabove-described shell.

\Ve claim- Gonst'ucting shelis and .shot for ordnance substmtialiy inthe nmnner and `up0n the prineiple herein set fo'th, for the purpose ofinereasing the fragments from shells and avoiding the slrink at thecenter of shot, as specified.

JOHN E. CRANE. J ESSE FOX.

witnesses:

J. S. WHITNEY, DAVID J. MOODY.

